SAN ANTONIO Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Fugitive and Cyber Crimes units have combined for more than 2,000 arrests. The milestone total highlights the success of more than seven years of dedicated law enforcement and commitment to work cooperatively with local, state and federal law enforcement officials.

The Office of the Attorney General’s Fugitive and Cyber Crimes units have made more than 2,000 arrests, Attorney General Abbott said. Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of these dedicated peace officers, 2,000 criminals were taken off the streets and held accountable for their unlawful conduct. We are grateful to the local, state and federal law enforcement officials from around the state who helped make this milestone possible and continue to work with us to protect Texas families.

Fugitive Unit peace officers made their 2,000th arrest on July 13 when Kirk Brandon Muller, 41, of Austin was arrested in Travis County for having unauthorized contact with a child a violation of his mandated parole requirements. In 1993 in Travis County, Muller was convicted on four counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Muller’s victims were four young girls ranging from nine to four years old.

The Cyber Crimes Unit also recently arrested Robert Eugene Dobbins, 40, of Austin. According to investigators, Dobbins initiated an online chat with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old male child. Investigators say Dobbins sexually propositioned the child, arranged to meet him in downtown Austin, and planned to travel with the child on a metro bus to Dobbins’ apartment in south Austin. When Dobbins arrived at the downtown meeting point, he encountered Cyber Crimes Unit officers instead of an underage child.

Attorney General Abbott’s Fugitive Unit works with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and other law enforcement agencies to pinpoint and arrest fugitives with a history of sex crimes against children who have violated parole or sex offender registration requirements. Parole violations include failing to report to parole officers or being present in areas that might allow them access to young children. Since operations began in August 2003, the unit has arrested 1,900 fugitives.

In 2003, Attorney General Abbott also launched the Cyber Crimes Unit, which targets online predators by assuming the identities of young teenagers in Internet chat rooms. Attorney General Abbott’s initiative has resulted in 115 arrests of online sex offenders. The Attorney General’s Office also has obtained convictions against more than 100 child pornographers. In addition to arrest roundups, Cyber Crimes Unit investigators have traveled to schools and communities statewide to offer educational cyber safety programs.

To find out more about Attorney General Abbott’s efforts to crack down on sex predators, visit the attorney general’s website at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov or call (800) 252-8011.